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UC-NRLF 


3fi    871 


WHY 


Freight  is  Lost  or  Damaged 


A.    C.    KENLY 


Printed  under  the  Auspices 

of  the 
General  Managers'  Association  of  the  Southeast 


l:e  Baughctan  Stationery  Co 
Richmond,  Va. 


Why  Freight  is  Lost  or  Damaged 


A.  C.  KENLY 


Copyright,  1908,  by  THE  BAUGHMAN  STATIONERY  Co. 


WHY  FREIGHT  IS  LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


HIPPERS  and  consignees  blame  the  carrier  when  a  shipment 
of  freight  fails  to  reach  destination  or  is  delivered  to  con- 
signee in  a  damaged  condition.  But  a  small  number  stop 
to  think  it  is  more  their  fault  than  the  carrier's.  In  the  be- 
ginning, the  fundamental  rule  of  carriers  in  accepting  merchan- 
dise was  the  requiring  of  each  package  to  be  plainly  marked,  showing  full 
name  of  consignee  and  destination.  From  a  willingness  to  oblige  patrons 
this  vital  requirement  has  been  so  far  "side-tracked,"  so  to  speak,  that  it  is 
not  unusual  for  boxes,  bales,  bundles  and  pieces -to  be  accepted  without  any 
marks.  Coupled  to  the  disappearance  of  full  marks  came  the  gradual  de- 
cline in  the  strength  of  packages  in  which  goods  are  shipped.  Boxes  and 
sacks  are  made  of  thinner  material,  crates  are  substituted  for  boxes,  and  sacks 
are  now  being  used  by  some  shippers  for  articles  which  should  not  be  ship- 
ped in  them. 

To  insure  the  prompt  and  safe  delivery  of  goods,  it  is  necessary  for  the 
shipper  to  plainly  mark  each  and  every  package,  bundle  or  piece  of  an  less 
carload  shipment,  showing  this  information  : 

Consignee's  name  in  full. 

Bill  of  lading  destination  in  full. 

State  in  which  destination  is  located. 

If  more  than  one  station  in  same  State  of  same  name,  full  name  of 

County  must  be  shown. 
All  previous  shipping  marks  must  be  obliterated. 

The  name  of  consignee  and  destination  must  be  legibly  written  or 
stencilled,  and  as  far  away  from  any  other  writing  or  marks  as  possible.  It 
is  a  great  help  to  all  when  shipper's  name  and  location  are  also  shown,  with 
the  word  "  FROM  "  preceding  them. 

Every  package,  bundle  or  piece  offered  for  shipment  should  be  present- 
ed to  carrier  in  condition  to  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  modern  transportation, 
the  shipper  bearing  in  mind  the  increased  size  of  box  cars,  fast  schedules 
and  the  stopping  of  trains  by  the  application  of  air. 

I  will  illustrate  the  difference  between  the  proper  and  improper  mark- 
ing and  packing  of  freight.  These  photographs  were  taken  at  various  for- 
warding and  delivering  warehouses.  They  are  not  isolated  cases,  it  being 
often  a  question  as  to  which  article  to  photograph,  and  their  counterparts 
are  familiar  sights  at  all  such  stations  throughout  the  country. 

190595 


WHY  FREIGHT  is    LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


THE  MARKING  OF  FREIGHT 

/CONTRAST,  please,  the  marking  of  these  two  cases.  The  first  is  fully 
^^  marked  in  so  far  as  name  of  consignee  and  destination  are  concerned, 
and  you  will  note  even 
the  street  address  is 
shown ;  yet  it  is  more  or 
less  confused  by  being 
surrounded  by  a  multi- 
plicity of  other  informa- 
tion. 

This  may  cause  the 
loss  of  the  package  or  a 
delay  in  delivery. 

NUMBER  ONE 

When  shipped,  the  second  case  bore  nothing  but  the  name  of  con- 
signee and  destination  on  the  side  reserved  for  shipping  marks.  The  fig- 
ures on  the  left  were  placed  thereon  by  destination  agent  and  represent  car 
number  in  which  received  and  date  thereof. 

There  will  not  be  any  delay  in  the  movement  of  this  shipment. 


HATHRICHT-CHILBS  CO. 
NP*  VA, 


NUMBER  Two 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


In  my  estimation  the  second  case  would  be  ideally  marked  if  the 
shipper's  name  and  address  were  shown  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner,  with 
date  of  shipment  and  case  number.  For  example  : 

From 

SMITH  &  JONES, 

Chicago,  111. 

AugUSt    22,    1908. 

Case  No.  317. 

The  presence  of  the  shipper's  name  is  of  assistance  as  a  means  of 
identification  of  a  package,  and  is  of  great  value  when  it  is  refused  or 
unclaimed  by  consignee,  as  in  all  such  instances  the  shipper  can  be  promptly 
notified,  and  if  date  of  shipment  and  case  number  are  shown,  he  can  also 
be  given  this  information,  which  will  enable  him  to  at  once  locate  the  par- 
ticular shipment  involved. 

Also  when  shipments  are  made  at  regular  intervals,  or  short  periods, 
the  presence  of  the  date  of  shipment  and  the  case  number  prevent  any 
uncertainty  as  to  which  lot  one  or  more  packages  belong  in  case  they  check 
short  and  reach  destination  on  the  same  'date  or  subsequently  to  a  later 
shipment. 


NUMBER  THRBE 

Note  the  different  manner  in  which  the  two  barrels  shown  in  number 
three  are  marked. 

As  both  were  shipped  by  same  party  in  same  car  the  marking  is  the  re- 
sult of  indifference.     The  marks  on  the  barrel  on  the  right  were  placed  there 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


because  the  head  happened  to  be  up ;  and  those  on  the  bottom  of  the  other 
were  stencilled  thereon,  because  that  end  was  up  when  the  shipping  clerk 
did  the  marking. 

Note  the  confusion  of  marks  and  brand  on  the  right  hand  barrel  as 
against  the  clearness  of  the  marks  on  the  other.  The  left-hand  barrel  would 
be  well  marked  if  consignee's  name  was  shown  in  full. 

Number  four  is  an  example  of  double  marks  on  a  package,  and  it  is  a 
very  common  practice  of  jobbers  and  distributers  to  ship  packages  so  marked. 

If  there  is  one  rule  which 
every  agent  knows  and  obeys,  it 
is  to  forward  at  once  to  correct 
destination  any  piece  of  freight 
unloaded  through  error  at  his 
station. 

Now,  suppose  one  or  both 
of  these  cases  had  been  unloaded 
at  some  other  point  than  proper 
destination,  the  agent  would 
have  to  use  his  best  common 
sense  and  judgment;  but  his 
decision  in  the  majority  of  cases 
would  be  more  or  less  guess-work, 
and  nature,  for  some  divine  but 
unfathomable  reason,  usually  sees 
we  guess  wrong. 

When  the  agent  guesses 
wrong  there  is  more  or  less  de- 
lay in  arrival  of  goods  at  destina- 
tion, resulting  in  complaint,  and 
possibly  the  consignee  refuses  to 
accept  the  shipment,  which 
means  trouble  and  correspond- 
ence and  probably  a  claim ;  all 

of  which  would  have  been  avoided  if  party  reshipping  the  cases  had  erased 

the  old  shipping  marks. 


NUMBER  FOUR 


Number  five  is  a  bale  of  mattresses,  about  six  by  four  feet  in  size. 

It  is  endeavoring  to  reach  its  destination  through  the  exertions  of  a 
small  paper  tag,  about  the  size  of  this  photograph.  I  say  "  exertions  "  of  a 
small  paper  tag  advisedly,  as  it  is  an  exertion  and  constant  struggle  for  the 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR    DAMAGED  7 

little  tag  not  to  lose  its  "  grip,"  for  it  realizes  if  it  does  the  great  big  bale 
will  be  left  utterly  helpless,  to  drift  hopelessly  to  an  unmarked  grave,  at  a 
sale  of  unclaimed  and  refused  freight;  for  the  little  paper  tag  bears  the 
name  of  consignee  and  where  he  is  located. 

It  does  seem  absurd, 
doesn't  it,  that  a  shipper 
having  such  a  wide  expanse 
of  surface  on  which  to  spread 
the  name  of  consignee  and 
destination,  would  seemingly 
prefer  to  use  a  paper  tag, 
which  is  necessarily  subjected 
to  all  sorts  of  chances  of  be- 
ing torn  off  in  part  or  whole 
through  handling,  stowing, 
and  the  rubbing  and  chafing 
which  packages  must  under- 
go, no  matter  how  carefully 
stowed,  whilst  train  is  in 
motion. 

Tags  should  never  be 
used  when  it  is  possible  to 
show  shipping  marks  on  the 
article  itself.  When  they  are 
used  they  should  be  made 
preferably  of  linen  or  strong 

.,,  NUMBER  FIVE 

manilla  paper,  with  a  rein- 
forced eyehole,  and  attached  to  the  article  by  a  wire  string,  or  sewed  to  it, 
or  securely  tacked— one  tack  in  each  corner  and  the  fifth  in  the  middle, 
using  broad-head  tacks  to  prevent  tearing.  Linen  tags  should  always  be 
used  on  shipments  of  iron  articles,  especially  small  pipe  and  castings,  which 
are  too  small  to  be  marked  with  marking  brush  or  stencil.  I  have  seen 
shipments  of  iron  bars  one  inch  in  diameter  plainly  stencilled. 

Number  six  represents  a  bale  of  hay  which  is  evidently  traveling  on  its 
shape,  as  there  are  no  shipping  marks  attached  to  it  in  any  manner. 

Now,  there  are  various  kinds  and  qualities  of  hay.  The  average  shipper 
ships  any  kind  or  quality  as  a  "bale  of  hay,"  and  it  is  so  written  on  the 
way-bill. 

When  a  local  freight  train  rolls  up  to  a  station  and  has  been  losing 
time,  as  is  its  usual  habit,  the  conductor,  hurriedly  glancing  over  the  way- 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


bills,  sees  there  is  a  bale  to  be  unloaded  for  John  Smith.  The  car  door  is 
opened  and  the  conductor  sees  three  bales,  and  as  all  bales  look  alike  to 
him  he  unloads  the  handiest  one  and  away  he  goes.  A  little  further  down 
the  road  he  unloads  a  second  bale  for  Bill  Jones,  and  before  reaching  the 
end  of  the  run  he  unloads  the  last  for  Tom  Johnson. 


NUMBER  Six 


Now,  in  this  special  episode 
John  Smith  ordered  a  bale  of  num- 
ber cne  timothy,  and  when  he  re- 
ceived a  bale  of  number  two,  he 
was  mad  clear  through,  thought 
the  shipper  was  trying  to  cheat 
him,  and  so  wrote  him.  Bill  Jones 
had  ordered  a  bale  of  number  two 
timothy  and  got  the  bale  of  clover 
that  Tom  Johnson  ordered,  and 
when  Tom  got  the  bale  of  timothy 
that  John  Smith  ordered  both  were 
hotter  than  hornets  and  took  to 
letter  writing ;  and  before  the  affair 
was  over  everybody,  including  the 
claim  agent,  had  hay  fever — all 
arising  from  the  lack  of  properly 
marked  bales. 

Some  shippers  of  hay  slip  the 
tag  bearing  the  marks  under  one 
of  the  wire  bands.  It  should  also 
be  tied  to  it,  as  there  is  always  the 
chance  of  its  working  out,  thus 
leaving  the  bale  without  marks. 


THE  PACKING  OF  FREIGHT 

Freight  delivered  to  carriers  for  transportation  can  be  divided  into  three 
general  classes : 

ist — When  an  article  is  not  protected  in  any  manner. 

2nd — When  an  article  is  in  a  sack. 

3rd — When  an  article  is  strapped,  crated  or  entirely  boxed. 

We  will  consider  them  separately. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is    LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


UNPROTECTED  ARTICLES 

Photograph  number  seven  represents  the  ordinary  method  of 
small  orders  of  stoves. 

Do  you  wonder  carriers  pay  innumerable  claims  for  damage 
Particularly  when  you  remember 
how  easily  cast    iron  is  cracked 
or  broken   by  a  blow  or  falling 
article. 

Depict  this  defenceless 
"critter,"  in  a  box  car  of  a 
hundred  thousand  pounds  capac- 
ity, surrounded  and  overtopped, 
for  nothing  can  be  piled  on  it, 
by  a  miscellaneous  assortment 
of  articles,  ranging  from  an  in- 
offensive sack  of  flour  to  a  box 
of  hardware  stowed  high  above 
it,  which  may  fall  on  it  with 
deadly  effect  at  any  minute, 
being  thrown  from  its  apparent- 
ly secure  position  by  the  swing 
of  the  fast-moving  train  around 
a  sharp  curve  or  the  sudden  ap- 
plication of  the  air  brakes. 

NUMBER  SEVEN 


shipping 
to  them? 


NUMBER  EIGHT 


io  WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR    DAMAGED 

Number  eight  is  another  source  of  petty  claims.  Broken  chairs.  The 
country  is  full  of  them.  Those  of  value  should  always  ^be  crated.  The 
cheaper  chairs  should  be  shipped  knocked  down  in  full  or  part,  and  set  up 
at  destination. 

As  a  general  proposition,  an  unprotected  article  should  not  be  so  ship- 
ped unless  of  a  nature  to  withstand  the  ordinary  wear  and  tear  of  transpor- 
tation. 


ARTICLES  IN  SACKS 

Numbers  nine  and  ten  represent  shipments  of  corn  meal  and  flour  in 
sacks.     Note  the  torn  and  soiled  sacks. 


NUMBER  NINE 


I  presume  the  largest  number  of  claims  received  by  carrier  for  damage 
is  against  flour  and  meal  in  sacks,  chiefly  owing  to  a  majority  of  shippers 
using  sacks  of  extremely  poor  quality. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is    LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


I  have  seen  meal  (ninety-six  Ibs.  to  the  sack)  packed  in  such  weak 
sacks  they  would  break  in  half  when  lifted.  I  have  seen  flour  (in  the  smaller 
size  sacks)  packed  in  such  flimsy  sacks  when  piled  five  high  in  a  car  the 
bottom  layer  would  burst  under  the  pressure  of  the  other  four. 


NUMBER  TEN 


12 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


Number  eleven  is  a  shipment  of  flour  in  small  sacks  protected  by  bur- 
lap covering,  which  means  the  customer  will  get  his  flour  in  clean,  saleable 
condition. 


NUMBER  ELEVEN 


It  is  only  a  question  of  time  that  the  shipper  who  burlaps  his  shipments 
is  going  to  get  the  trade  of  the  fellow  who  does  not. 


NUMBER  TWELVB 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


Number  twelve  shows  a  very  poor  quality  of  sack  used  by  many  for  grain. 

The  meshes  are  so  wide  that  the  corn  oozes  out  through  them,  and  when 
this  is  supplemented,  as  in  a  majority  of  cases,  by  careless  sewing  of  the 
mouth  with  wide  stitches,  permitting  a  constant  dripping  of  grains  of  corn 
as  shown  in  the  photograph,  it  means  more  or  less  loss  by  the  time  shipment 
reaches  destination. 

The  poor  quality  and  wide  mesh  offers  but  faint  resistance  to  the 
ordinary  wear  and  tear  incident  to  handling  in  transit,  and  causes  many 
claims  of  varying  amounts. 

Many  shippers  use  a  sack  so  short  that  the  mouth  cannot  be  sewed 
tight  without  stretching  or  tearing  the  meshes,  thus  causing  loss. 

In  my  judgment  it  is  poor  policy  for  a  shipper  to  use  such  sacks,  and 
equally  as  poor  policy  for  carriers  to  accept  them. 

Sacks  should  always  be  long  enough  to  permit  doubling  the  mouth,  and 
should  be  sewed  with  inch  stitches. 

Number  thirteen  is  a  sack  of  meat.  When  meat  is  so  shipped  the 
marks  should  be  on  a  linen  tag,  as  in  hot  weather  the  grease  running  from 


NUMBER  THIRTEEN 

the  meat  will  obliterate  the  marks  if  on  the  sack.  This  is  why  so  many 
sacks  of  meat  are  mixed  in  delivery  or  lost  like  hay  and  other  unmarked 
articles.  In  this  instance  the  shipper  has  attached  a  tag  as  an  additional 
precaution. 

As  a  general  proposition,  I  think  it  is  a  bad  practice  for  carriers  to  ac- 
cept meat  in  sacks,  as  it  is  susceptible  to  robbery  by  the  hungry. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


Articles  Strapped,  Crated  or  Boxed 

Number  fourteen  is  a  china  closet  which  had  a  fine  round  glass  front 
when  it  started  from  the  factory.  When  this  photograph  was  taken  half  way 
to  destination  most  of  the  glass  had  disappeared.  Are  you  surprised? 


NUMBER  FOURTEEN 


Some  carrier  will  pay  for  the 
glass  broken,  and  ought  to,  for  ac- 
cepting the  closet  packed  as  it 
was  offered. 

You  would  think  the  shipper 
would  desire  the  article  to  reach 
his  customer  intact, but  apparent- 
ly he  is  satisfied  to  take  chances, 
as  he  knows  that  some  carrier  will 
pay  for  any  breakage,  and  it  is 
cheaper  to  crate  than  to  wholly 
box. 

Number  fifteen  is  several 
sashes  crated.  The  slats  are  thin 
material  with  one  nail  driven  in 
the  end.  You  will  note  one  end 
of  one  slat  has  broken  loose,  ex- 
posing additional  glass  to  any 
protruding  or  falling  article. 

An  article  partly  made  of 
glass  should  always  have  the  glass 
portion  solidly  covered. 


NUMBER  FIFTEEN 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Number  sixteen  is  another  example  of  cheap  crating.  The  material  is 
so  thin  and  the  nails  so  small  that  it  can  stand  but  little  of  the  usage  that 
freight  must  necessarily  be  subjected  to  in  the  hurried  handling  and  stowing 
incident  to  getting  trains  out  on  schedules  to  satisfy  the  demands  for  quick 
service. 


NUMBER  SIXTEEN 


Here  is  another  way  of  shipping  stoves.  Just  look  at  these  miserable 
apologies  for  crates.  It  would  be  as  well,  if  not  better,  for  all  concerned,  if 
they  were  not  crated  at  all. 


NUMBER  SEVENTEEN 


i6 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


Numbers  eighteen  and  nineteen  are  examples  of  improper  and  proper 
crating. 


NUMBER  KIGHTEEN 


Number  nineteen  shows  it   is  entirely   possible    to    properly  crate  an 
article. 

Note  the  thickness  of  the  wood. 

The  crating  is  further  secured  by  iron  straps.     I  warrant  this  firm  or  its 
customer  do  not  make  many  claims  for  broken  articles. 


NUMBER  NINETEEN 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Numbers  twenty,  twenty-one  and  twenty-two  are  three  examples  of  the 
improper  and  proper  packing  of  the  articles  shown,  and  will  apply  to  all 
similar  articles. 


NUMBER  TWENTY 


Number  twenty  shows  the  two  bundles  tied  with  a  string  ready  to  begin 
their  journey.  If  you  examine  closely  the  smaller  bundle  you  will  note  one 
spoke  has  already  worked  out  from  under  the  string. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-ONE 


Number  twenty-one  shows  the  condition  in  which  a  great  many  bundles 
reach  destination.  There  are  more  or  less  spokes  lost  and  necessarily  more 
or  less  claims. 


i8 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


It  is  refreshing  to  turn  to  number  twenty-two  and  see  a  shipment  of 
this  class  properly  crated.  Contrast  it  with  the  cheap  and  unbusiness-like 
bundle  beside  it. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-TWO 

Number  twenty-three  represents  two  cans  of  lard. 

Note  how  durably  the  can  to  the  left  is  crated  in  contrast  to  the  other. 

These  cans  weigh  from  fifty  to  sixty  pounds,  and  the  crating  on  the  one 
on  the  right  is  too  weak  to  properly  protect  it,  with  the  result  the  crate 


NUMBER  TWENTY-THREE 

is  frequently  broken,  the  can  is  exposed  to  the  shifting  of  the  freight  in  the 
car  and  is  possibly  dented,  and  in  many  cases  the  top  is  forced  off,  the  lard 
is  either  soiled  or  a  certain  amount  of  it  runs  out  in  hot  weather  or  falls  out 
in  cold. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Number  twenty-four  shows  the 
proper  and  improper  strapping  and 
crating  of  caddies  of  tobacco. 

Note  how  securely  the  one  on 
the  right  is  crated,  whereas  the 
shipment  to  the  left  has  but  one 
narrow  strap  nailed  along  the  side. 
The  sudden  stopping  of  a  fast  mov- 
ing train  would  be  sufficient  to  snap 
off  the  top  caddy  and  the  one  next 
to  it.  And  how  easy  for  a  "  tobacco 
chewer"  to  break  off  a  caddy  and 
make  off  with  it  under  favorable 
conditions. 

Carriers  pay  for  a  great  many 
short  caddies  of  tobacco.  It  is 
foolish  for  them  not  to  demand 
their  proper  crating. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-FOUR 


Number  twenty- 
five  represents  a 
shipment  of  smoked 
herrings,  and  is  near 
the  limit.  The  wood 
is  about  as  thick  as 
cardboard  and  the 
various  boxes  are  tied 
together  with  a  string. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-FIVE 


Do  you  blame  the  hungry  train-hand  or  any  one  else  for  helping  him- 
self when  the  invitation  is  so  palpable? 

Both  shipper  and  carrier  should  blush — the  one   for  accepting  and  the 
other  for  offering  such  shipments. 


2O 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


Number  twenty-six  is  part  of  a  shipment  of  25  small  boxes  shipped 
loose,  each  marked  with  full  name  of  consignee  and  destination.  The  boxes 
are  about  1 1  by  5  by  3  inches,  and  weigh  five  pounds. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-SIX 


NUMBER  TWENTY-SEVEN 


Numbers  twenty-seven  and  twenty-eight  are  examples  of  small  boxes 
crated  and  strapped.     Now,  if  the  shipper  of  boxes  shown  in  twenty- six  had 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


21 


crated  or  strapped  them,  making  two  packages,  13  boxes  in  one  and   12  in 
the  other,  look  what  he  would  have  saved. 

ist — The  marking  of  twenty-three  boxes. 

2nd — The  reduction  of  chances  of  shortage  or  damage  from  25  times  to  2 


NUMBER 
TWENTY-EIGHT 


NUMBER 
TWENTY-NINE 


Here  is  another  example  of  poor  crat- 
ing, and  is  a  very  common  package,  being 
a  five  gallon  bottle  of  lithia  water.  The 
neck  of  the  bottle  should  be  protected. 
You  can  readily  see  the  danger  of  breakage 
in  the  present  condition. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


Number  thirty  reproduces  buckets  of  lard  in  a  package  used  by  all  ship- 
pers of  lard,  butter  and  similar  compounds.     Candy  and  other  articles  are 

also  shipped  in  a  like  pack- 
age. The  top  usually  consists 
of  one  to  three  pieces  nailed 
to  the  staves,  and  sometimes, 
when  it  is  of  one  solid  piece,  it 
is  only  fastened  down  by  a 
wire  clamp.  You  will  note 
the  parts  of  two  tops 
have  been  broken  off,  expos- 
ing the  lard  to  loss  or  soil- 
ing. You  will  further  note  one 
side  of  a  handle  on  the  top 
bucket  has  been  broken  loose. 
The  handles  are  attached  by 
small  wire  staples,  often  care- 
lessly and  half  fastened.  I 
have  seen  handles  pulled  off 
when  a  stevedore  was  in  the 
act  of  lifting  a  bucket  to  stow 

NUMBER  THIRTY 


it  in  a  car,  resulting  in  the 
bucket  falling  to  the  floor,  the 
top  bursting  off  and  contents 
tumbling  out.  These  buckets 
weigh  from  fifty  to  sixty  Ibs., 
and  the  tops  should  not  only 
be  nailed,  but  additionally 
secured  by  metal  straps,  as 
shown  in  number  thirty-one. 
You  will  note  the  top  of  the 
middle  bucket  in  this  photo- 
graph has  worked  loose,  al- 
though nailed,  and  is  held  by 
the  straps. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-ONE 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


23 


Number  thirty-two  is  a  view  of  a  carload  of  lard  after  a  wreck.  A  close 
inspection  will  show  the  buckets  proper  are  sound,  and  if  the  tops  had  been 
additionally  protected  by  metal  straps,  there  would  have  been  but  little  if 
any  loss. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-TWO 


Number  thirty-three  is  a  photograph  of  a  bucket  of  lard  shipped  in  the 
usual  way,  and  beside  it  is  a  small  package  showing  another  mode  of  fasten- 
ing a  top  with  metal  straps  or  bands  in  addition  to  nailing  it.  These  bands 


NUMBER  THIRTY-THREE 


are  nailed  to  the  side  of  the  box  instead  of  being  attached  to  the  hoop,  as 
in  number  twenty-eight.  I  prefer  the  latter  method,  as  the  hoop  is  also  held 
in  place  by  the  band  or  straps. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Number  thirty-four  is  a  shipment  of 
cheese  in  the  poor,  weak,  cheap  package 
used  for  this  purpose. 

Carriers  pay  many  claims  for  accept- 
ing it  in  this  shape.  The  package  is 
highly  susceptible  to  breakage.  Often 
the  top  is  not  even  fastened  on,  so  it  is 
a  frequent  occurrence  for  a  cheese  to  reach 
consignee  with  one  to  two  pounds  cut  out 
to  feed  the  hungry  en  route. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-FOUR 


Carriers  should  require  a  ship- 
ment of  one  or  more  boxes  to  be 
strapped  or  crated.  An  ideal  way 
to  ship  more  than  one  box  would  be 
to  have  them  wired  together,  as  are 
half- buckets,  shown  in  number  thirty- 
one.  In  this  case  the  four  strands 
of  strong  wire  are  fastened  to  each 
bucket  by  a  wire  staple  and  the 
ends  twisted  tightly  together  over 
the  center  of  the  top  bucket,  thus 
making  one  strong,  safe  package  in- 
stead of  five.  Another  advantage 
in  strapping  them  together  is  there 
is  only  one  chance  of  loss  and  dam- 
age against  five  if  shipped  separately. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-FIVE 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Numbers  thirty-five  and 
thirty-six  represent  what  are 
termed  fibre  packages,  which  are 
now  being  increasingly  used  by 
shippers  of  cereal  food,  crackers 
and  similiar  articles  put  up  in 
individual  packages. 

My  records  show  they  are 
better  packages  than  the  cheap 
wooden  cracker  box.  The  chief 
objection  to  them  is  they  can 
not  be  repaired.  The  photo- 
graphs show  the  weak  points  are 
the  joints  and  seams.  If  these 
can  be  strengthened,  and  car- 
riers would  demand  each  pack- 
age should  be  roped  or  wired 
for  additional  protection,  they 
would  make  a  very  acceptable 
case  to  contain  goods  enclosed 
in  individual  wrappers. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-SIX 


Numbers  thirty-seven,  thirty-eight  and   thirty-nine  are  representations 
of  cheap  or  indifferently  put  together  packages. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-SEVEN 


26 


WHY  FREIGHT  is    LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


Number  thirty-seven  is  four  boxes  out  of  sixty  in  one  shipment  of  fruit 
jars.  There  were  over  sixty  jars  broken,  an  average  of  more  than  one  to  a 
box.  The  boxes  are  on  a  parity  with  the  smoked  herring  boxes. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-KIGHT 

Number  thirty-eight  is  the  remains  of  a  barrel  of  fish  on  reaching  des- 
tination. The  barrel  had  at  last  fallen  to  pieces,  being  worn  out  from  con- 
stant use. 

Number  thirty-nine  is  a 
box  of  meat.  Now,  the  genius 
who  devised  this  box  nails 
the  boards  forming  the  sides 
to  the  four  pieces  I  have 
marked  A,  B,  C  and  D,  and 
then  nails  the  boards  forming 
the  ends  on  the  inside  of 
these  four  pieces.  So  when  a 
box  is  stood  on  end  and  an- 
other package  of  any  weight 
is  placed  on  top  of  it,  the 
pressure  forces  the  boards 
down,  drawing  out  the  nails, 
and  the  box  is  in  bad  order, 
hard  to  repair,  and  contents 
subject  to  damage  or  robbery. 


NUMBER  THIRTY-NINE 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


27 


If  the  smoked  herring  package  and  the  fruit  jar  packages  are  about 
the  limit,  numbers  forty,  forty-one  and  forty  two  show  one  which  is 
the  limit. 


NUMBER  FORTY 


Number  forty  is  an  end  view  of  a  car   half-way  to  destination.     Num- 
bers forty-one  and  forty-two  are  nearer  views  of  individual  packages. 


NUMBER  FORTY-ONK 


Beans,  peas,  cucumbers,  squash  and    other   kinds  of    vegetables,  and 
also  fruits  are  shipped  in  this  package,  and  the  yearly  loss  to  carriers  must 


28 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


be  enormous,  as  the  shape  of  the  package  prohibits  it  being  stowed  with 
any  great  degree  of  safety.  Shippers  and  consignees  would  be  saved  the 
worry  and  trouble  of  many  claims  if  they  would  discard  this  package. 


NUMBER  FORTY-TWO 


Number  forty-three  is  a  very  good  illustration  of  the  value  of  strap- 
ping a  case.  Note  the  one  on  the  right,  which  is  strapped,  has  reached  des- 
tination in  as  good  shape  as  when  it  started.  Contrast  it  with  the  two 


NUMBER  FORTY-THREE 


unstrapped  cases.  How  easy  it  would  be  for  an  evil  disposed  party  to  help 
himself  to  the  contents  of  the  other  two.  Or,  if  the  tops  were  not  open, 
how  easy  to  pry  off  a  board  and  nail  it  back  in  as  apparent  good  order  as 
ever. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is  LOST  OR  DAMAGED 


29 


Number  forty-four  is  a 
case  over  five  feet  high  con- 
taining hats.  Note  the  crack 
between  two  of  the  boards. 
The  wood  is  so  thin  that  it  is 
possible  to  spring  the  boards 
wide  enough  apart  to  run  your 
hand  in  and  pull  out  as  many 
hats  as  you  want.  This  case 
should  have  been  strapped 
around  each  end  and  also 
strapped  around  the  middle. 
All  boxes  four  feet  long  and 
over  should  have  an  additional 
strap  or  metal  clamp  for  about 
every  two  feet. 

Number  forty-five  shows 
three  boxes  of  syrup.  If  they 
had  been  strapped  the  thin 
boards  constituting  part  of 
the  tops  would  not  have 
been  lost.  The  absent  board 


NUMBER  FORTY-FOUR 


of  the  case  to  the  left 
contained  the  shipping 
marks.  Fortunately  it 
was  found  and  the  agent 
was  able  to  forward  it 
to  proper  destination. 
This  is  an  additional 
argument  in  favor  of 
strapping. 

Number  forty-six 
shows  a  box  which  is 
properly  strapped, 
yet  has  been  broken 


NUMBER  FORTY-FIVE 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


NUMBER  FORTY-SIX 


into  owing  to  the  thin  and  poor  quality  of  the  lumber  used  in  its 
construction ;  which  proves  a  box  should  not  only  be  strapped,  but  the 
lumber  used  should  be  of  a  thickness  and  quality  commensurate  with  the 
character  of  its  contents. 

I  cannot  too  emphat- 
ically advocate  that  car- 
riers should  refuse  to  ac- 
cept a  wooden  box,  case 
or  crate  unless  it  is  made 
of  lumber  of  soi  ffi  c  i  e  n  t 
strength  to  safely  protect 
the  contents,  and  bound 
by  straps,  preferably  of 
metal,  according  to  its  size 
and  weight. 

If  this  is  done  it  will 
mean  a  tremendous  reduc- 
tion in  claims  for  losses 
from  packages  and  dam- 
aged goods. 

The  addition  of  metal  straps  will  also  be  a  great  protection  against 
robbery  and  petty  pilfering  now  being  done  owing  to  the  ease  with  which  a 
package  can  be  opened. 

In  concluding  an  article  which  could  be  continued  almost  indefinitely 
with  photographs  of  other  classes  of  freight,  I  wish  to  say  I  have  been  im- 
pressed with  the  apparent  indifference  of  the  average  shipper  as  to  the  fate 
of  his  products  after  they  are  sold. 

The  ordinary  manufacturer  or  jobber  seems  willing  to  spend  any  reason- 
able sum  to  sell  his  wares,  either  through  the  expense  of  traveling  salesmen 
or  attractive  catalogues,  etc.,  etc. ;  yet  when  the  goods  are  sold  he  must  lose 
all  interest  in  them,  for  how  else  can  you  account  for  his  packing  and  mark- 
ing them  for  shipment  in  the  condition  shown  in  these  photographs. 

Possibly  he  works  on  the  theory  that  if  carriers  are  silly  enough  to  ac- 
cept them  under  these  conditions,  and  will  pay  for  any  loss  or  damage,  it 
does  not  matter  to  him.  That  is  where  he  is  mistaken  ;  for  it  does  matter  to 
him,  and  very  vitally.  As  I  previously  stated,  a  pleased  customer  is  a  very 
valuable  asset  to  a  seller,  and  a  pleased  customer  is  the  man  who  gets  his 
goods  promptly  and  in  good  order,  and  he  is  buying  more  and  more  from 
the  seller  who  takes  every  precaution  to  insure  this. 

That  is  why  long-headed  shippers  are  returning  to  the  old  way  of 
properly  marking  and  packing  their  goods,  and  are  buying  stencilling 
machines  and  stencilling  cases  on  a  clear, clean  surface,  as  shown  in  number  two. 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR   DAMAGED 


That  is  why  they  are  burlapping  the  small  sacks  of  flour,  as  shown  in 
number  eleven,  and  it  would  pay  them  to  use  heavier  sacks  for  the  larger  sizes. 

That  is  why  they  are  using  strong,  durable  crates,  as  shown  in  numbers 
nineteen,  twenty-two,  twenty-three  and  twenty-seven. 

That   is   why  they  are   securing  their  packages,  as  shown  in  numbers 
thirty-one,  thirty-three  and  the  well-strapped  box  in  number  forty-three. 

That  is  why  shippers  of  small  boxes  are  crating  or  strapping  them,  as 
shown     in     numbers     twenty-four, 
twenty-seven,  twenty-eight  and  the 
half  buckets  shown  in  number  thirty- 
one. 

That  is  why  some  banana 
shippers  are  using  the  drum,  as 
shown  in  number  forty-seven,  in- 
stead of  the  old  clumsy  cornucopia- 
shaped  basket  (see  number  forty- 
eight),  so  frail  and  so  weak  it  can 
scarcely  stand  alone,  and  into 
which  a  child  could  thrust  his 
hand  and  pull  forth  the  sweet  fruit. 

How  long  the  seller  who  is 
indifferent  to  how  he  marks  and 
packs  his  goods  lor  shipment  can 
stand  up  in  competition  with  the 
seller  who  does  care,  can  be  de- 
cided by  him  as  easily  as  by  an 

OU  S1    Cr*  .  NUMBER  FORTY-SEVEN 


NUMBER  FORTY-EIGHT 


32 


WHY  FREIGHT  is   LOST  OR    DAMAGED 


NOTE — Carriers  are  now  requiring  the  full  marking  of  all  less  than  car- 
load freight,  but  all  shippers  are  not  as  yet  showing  the  shipping  marks  as 
plainly  and  clearly  as  they  can  be  shown.  When  this  is  done,  and  shippers 
also  realize  the  inestimable  value  it  will  be  to  themselves  and  their  customers 
to  present  their  goods  for  shipment  in  condition  to  withstand  the  ordinary 
wear  and  tear  of  modern  transportation,  thus  reaching  consignee  in  good 
order,  then  will  claims  for  loss  and  damage  with  their  attendant  annoyances 
and  vexations  be  reduced  to  a  very  small  minimum. 


•F  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

Of 


TW 


